Caterpillar celebrates as products ready to roll off assembly line

Government and business reporter

The labors behind Bogart’s Caterpillar plant will begin bearing fruit today as the factory starts churning out its first mini hydraulic excavators.

The new factory — a $200 million investment in a million-square-foot plant that economic forecasters predict will have an annual impact in the billions of dollars — was lauded by politicians, including Gov. Nathan Deal, and Caterpillar officials alike. And there were no shortage of plaudits at a Thursday grand-opening celebration, from CEO Douglas Oberhelman talking about Georgia’s importance to Caterpillar to Deal praising regional cooperation in securing the move and the importance this has for Georgia’s image.

“What you do as workers to turn out quality products truly speaks louder than anything Chris or I can say,” Deal told the crowd, which included many of the plant’s 300 employees and referring to Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Chris Carr.

The plant was announced in winter 2012 and it opened less than a year later. Within two years of that initial announcement, it will be rolling out the mini hydraulic excavators. It’s anticipated to produce as many as 60 excavators a day.

During a tour Thursday, they could be seen in their various stages of production, from a chasis with some treads to a fully constructed earth-mover.

The plant will eventually expand to include small track-type tractors in 2015.

As it ramps up production, so to will it ramp up jobs: By 2018, Caterpillar anticipates as many as 1,400 employees working at the facility.

“This will be one of our largest single facilities in the country and it will rank right up there globally,” Oberhelman said.

But it came at a cost: Some $70 million in state and local incentives, via tax abatements, infrastructure improvements and property. Deal told gathered media that he felt the incentives offered were a small price for the economic impact. In addition to the jobs offered by the plant itself, officials estimate as many as 2,800 jobs following behind it as ancillary businesses move to and expand in the area.

Facility manager Todd Henry — the only speaker to receive hoots and whoops during a standing ovation — said the plant will do its part, not only in jobs, but in environmental stewardship and charity. Caterpillar workers already donated their days to a United Way community service event earlier this year.

“Today is a good day,” Henry said at the Thursday ceremony. “Tomorrow is an even better day.”

OnlineAthens.com aims to foster constructive, respectful civic conversation. With your help, we will provide a friendly, safe, easy to use place on the Web for everyone in the area to share not only opinions but also information of community interest. Racist, harassing, abusive and libelous comments will not be tolerated.